Health agency confirms E. coli cases

Nicole Eversole
Effingham Daily News

November 30, 2007 12:16 pm

— E. coli-infested ground beef was discovered in October after a 7-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy from the same Effingham household became sick — one of the two members was hospitalized.
According to Effingham County Health Department Communicable Disease Coordinator Crystal Schutzbach, the family purchased ground beef from Kroger in Effingham on Oct. 19.
Schutzbach said the family consumed half of the meat on that day and two members of the household got sick. The boy was hospitalized with the illness.
“They are both doing fine now,” said Schutzbach, continuing to say the other half of the ground beef package was sent to be tested and was found positive for E. coli 0157:H7 on Nov. 19.
The manager of the local Kroger store was not available for comment this morning.
After the meat was tested, American Foods Groups in Green Bay, Wis. was found to be the distributor, said Schutzbach.
According to the USDA, American Foods Groups has voluntarily recalled approximately 95,927 pounds of various coarse and fine ground beef products because of possible E. coli contamination.
The USDA also offers helpful tips on how to prepare ground beef for safe consumption to avoid E. coli:
• Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot, soapy water. Immediately clean spills.
• Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.
• Consumers should only eat ground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160°F.
• Color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.
• The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature.
• Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase or one hour if temperatures exceed 90°F. Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.
The following products are subject to recall, according to the USDA:
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “65000.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 75/25.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “65800.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF SIRLOIN, FINE GROUND 90/10.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “66000.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 80/20.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “66400.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 75/25.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “19900.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “20100.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF CHUCK, FINE GROUND 82/18.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “20600.”
• Bulk weight packages of “CHOP BEEF STEAK, FINE GRIND “86/14.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “30000.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF SIRLOIN, FINE GROUND 92/08.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “30400.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF ROUND, FINE GROUND 87/13.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “30200.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 80/20.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “30700.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF CHUCK, FINE GROUND 82/18.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “31400.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 93/07.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “31600.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “31700.”
• Bulk weight packages of “BEEF MODIFIED, FINE GROUND 93/07.” Each shipping label bears a product code of “31900.”
The USDA website states that although products to recall were distributed for further processing and repackaging, and will not bear the recalling firm’s establishment number on the package, consumers should contact retailers to ask if they received any of these products.
Beef products subject to recall were produced on Oct. 10, and were distributed to retail establishments in Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia, according to the USDA.
Although American Foods Groups does not distribute to Illinois retail stores directly, ground beef sold by this company may eventually be sold in Illinois grocery stores, according to the Effingham County Health Department.
Nicole Eversole can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 128 or nicole.eversole@effinghamdailynews.com.